Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-08
MR.. BLAINE BREAKS FORTH.
He is Interviewed on Cleveland s
Message in Paris.
TALKING TO A TRIBUNE MAN.
He Gives His Opinions on the Prcsi.
dents Views i'm Regard to
Tariff Reduction His
Protection Policy.
Blaine on Clcyciaud's Message.

New York, Dec. THE Tribune of to-
morrow will contain "a long interview with
Hon. James G.. Blaine in Paris on President
Clevcand's message
~ have been reading an abstract Of the
presidents message and have been especially
interested in the comment of the London
papers. Those papers all assume to declare
that the message is free trade manifesto
and evidently are anticipating an enlarged
market for English fabrics in the United
States as II consequence of the presidents
recommendations. Perhaps that fact stamps
the character of the message more clearly
than any words of mine can.'
"You don't mean actual free trade without
dutyr' queired the reporter.
NO. replied Blaine, nor do the London
papers mean that. They simply mean that
the president has recommended what in the
United States is known as a revenue tariff.
rejecting the protective feature as an object
| and not even permitting protection to result
freely as an incident TO revenue duties"
~ don't quite comprehend that last point
said the reporter.
IL mcan," said Blaine, ''that for the first
time in the history of the United States, the
president recommends retaining an internal
tax in order that the tariff may be forced
down even below fair revenue standard.
He recommends that the tax on tobacco be
retained and thus that many millions an
| hually shall be levied on II domestic product
which would far better come from Il tariff on
| foreign fabrics"
'Then do YOU mean you would favor a re
peal of the tobacco taX.n
Certainly; ] mean just that. I should
| urge that it be done at once, even before the
Christmas holidays 1t would, in the first
| place, bring great relief TO the growers of to-
bacco all over the country, and would more
| over, materially lessen the price of the arti-
| Gle to consumers. Tobacco to millions of
men is necessity The president calls
| in no other sense than tea and coffee are lux
| uries. 1t is well to remember that the lux
| ury of yesterday becomes a necessity of to-
| day. Users of tobacco not only pay the mill
| ions of the tobacco tax, but pay on every plug
| and every cigar an enhanced
| price, which tax enables the
manufacturers and retailers to impose
| The only excuse for such tax is the actual
| necessity under which the government found
| itself during the war, and the Years immedi-
| atcly following. To retain the tax now in
| order to destroy protection which woutd in
| cidcntally flow from raising the sane amount
of money ON 70. eign imports is certainly most
an extraordinary policy for our government
''Would you advise the repeal of the whisky
tax also:n
"No, l would not. Other considerations
| than those OF the fnancal administration are
| to be taken into account with regard to
| whisky. There is moral side to it. To
| cheaper the price of whisky is TO increase
| the consumption enormously. There would
| be no sense in urging the reform wrought by
| high license in many states if the national gov
| ernment neutralizcs the good effect by making
| whisky within the reach of every one at 20
| cents gallon. Whisky would be every
| where distilled if the surveillance of govern
| ment We're withdrawn. and Illicit sales could
not then be prefented 1t would destroy
| high license at once III all states. Whisky
has done a vast deal of harm in the
| United States. | would try to
make it do some good. | would use
the tax co fortify our cities and our seaboartl
| In view of the powerful letter addressed to
the democratic party on the subject of fortif-
cation by too late Samuel j. Tilden, in 1855
| ! am amazed shat no attention has been paid
the subject by the democratic administration.
| Never before in the history of the world has
| any government allowed great cities on the
seaboard to remain detenseloss."